Overtraining in sport horses causes physical and psychological burnout that affects welfare and performance longevity.
Overtraining in horses is a welfare problem that is often misdiagnosed as laziness, evasion, or behavioral problems, leading to escalating training pressure that worsens the underlying condition. A horse whose performance is declining from physical and psychological fatigue is in distress, not rebellion. The competitive context — where horses are valuable investments expected to perform — creates economic pressure to push through rest signals. Welfare-aligned training includes built-in rest periods, variety in work type, monitoring for physiological stress markers, and willingness to give horses time off when they show burnout signals. Horses that are adequately rested have longer, more productive careers — the welfare and economic cases are aligned.